The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-31
A DUEL IN MEXICO.
Stirring Scenes at the Castle Of Cha
pultepec.

to witness something interesting, come to-
morrow morning to Ell Paseo de la Re
forma the large public promedade IN this
city at o'clock. / will wait for you
there"
Such was the note I received from my
friend Fillo, a correspondent Of this city, the
night of July 49,
/ understood at once it was something or
interest, so / could hardly sleep that night
for fear of missing my appointment; put
my faithful Indian servant woke me up a
little before o'clock / dressed up, put on
my hat and my overcoat for the mornings
in summer are very cold here, went out,
walked about six squares, and came to III
Caballitto the little horse, where the Paseo
de Ia Reforma begins Filio was there,
leaning in his cab and smoking his cigarette:
You came just in time, he said; ''one OF
the carriages just passed, and the other VIII
come Soon,n
"Wha is the matter' asked.
IA DUEL" HE SAID,
Who are the duelistsl Gen. Rocha and
Gov. Arce. just then we heard the noise
of carriage coming from the city, and,
passing before us, went through the Paseo
de Ia Reforma to the Castle of Chapuitepec.
Our cab followed the carriage a short dis
lance. On reaching the gate of the historl-
cal Castle of Chapultepee the carriage went
in, but the sentinel asked my friend who
we were, and after the presentation OF
card signed by Gen. Rocha we were allowed
to go in.
On tho Western side of the castle is
plain. and at the end of this plain is a lake
where the cadets of the Military Academy
go to swim. 1t was on this plain where
| the two carriages ahead of us had stopped.
Two men, with their coats and vests Off,
SWORD IN HAND,
were seen standing one in front of the
other. At respectable distance were four
| more men. two on one side and two on the
other, and little further away was man
with kind of sachel i'll his hand.
Two of the four were Gen. Rochas sec
onds and the other two Gov. Arce's seconds.
| The other man was the physician.
The first rays Of dawn appeared at 20,
| and gave plenty of light for the champions
| TO start. One of the seconds, a tall, heavy
set fellow, Col. Moran, gave the signal.
| Both men sprang at each other. The clash
| of the swords produced sparks of fire. Gen.
| Rocha is about 45 years old, of medium size,
heavy set, brave, and a good fencer. Gov.
Arce, of the State of Guerrero. older than
Rocha, is tall, thin fellow, and also an ex-
cellent fencer. For more than ten minutes
THEY MADE DIFFERENT ATTACKS
upon each other, but neither was hurt
Rocha was getting hot, when the cry
| "Quien vive!' from the sentinel on top of
| the castle stopped them. In the Castle of
| Chapultepec is the Military Academy of
| Mexico, and the cadets are compelled to
| watch in turn, the surroundings of the
castle The sentinel undoubtedly saw men
| and carriages moving around, and gave the
voice of alarm. Soon an officer and ten
| cadets rifle in hand, came down. On ap-
preaching the scene one of the seconds ad-
vanced to meet them and spoke to the
officer The officer, who seemed to hesitate,
| sent cadet back, and he with the rest
remained as spectators.
The combat was renewed. This time
Arce was the first to attack, and succeeded
in
INJURING THE RIGHT ARM
of his adversary. The seconds stopped the
fight, because the agreement was TO stop as
soon as the first wound was inflicted The
blood was. soon seen covering the white
sleeves of the chemise of Gen. Rocha. TIE
doctor examined the injury and pronounced
| it of no danger.
From the beginning of the combat till
Rocha was wounded the two duelists did not
utter a single word to each other, but when
Gen. Rocha felt himself injured and the
| seconds ordered them to stop he was the
| first to extend his hand, which Gov. Arce
| shook, but still in silence.
Gov. Arce, accompanied by his seconds,
| entered his carriage and rode back to the
| city. After awhile Gen. Rocha, his friends
and the physician followed them, and final
! ly our carriage took the same direction.
WHY THE DUEL TOOK PLACE.
For more than two months the Liberal
and the Conservative papers of this country
have been engaged in a bitter controversy
| in regard to Col. Miguel Lopez, the traitor,
as he is called
| Lopez was the secretary and confidential
| friend of Macmillan. Since the fall of
| Queretaro and the capture and execution of
Emperor Macmillan, together with Gems.
Miramon and Mejia, Lopez has lived in this
city, closely and without friends, and has
been considered by the Mexican people as a
| a man disloyal to his friend Macmillan
| and as traitor. first, to his country, and,
second, to his master, Emperor Macmillan.
This Lopez has lately denied, and has even
made an offer of $40, 900 to any person who
can prove such charge. A great many
letters from different Generals and states
men have bCel published on the matt
some in favor Of Lopez and some against
him.
A Belgian captain living in this city, who
was at that time in command of the
GUARDIE D'HoNEUR
Of the Emperor, wrote letter, saying: "All
what Lopez did was according to Maxi
W
for him to eScape.p Finally,
GOV. ARCE PUBLISHED,
a few days ago, letter in which he says:
The night of July IL, 1867. l and three
more officers were appointed by Gen.
Mariana Escobedo, chief in command of the
Mexican army, to receive at a late hour a
man coming from the city and conduct him
to his apartment. l and my officers wont
TO the intrenchments around the city of
Queretaro and waited there. About II 80
o'clock man crossing the trenches came out
and presented himself to us, and we led him
to Gen. Escobedos apartment; the man re-
manned there for about half an hour; then
the General ordered us to escort the man
and wait at the intrenchment for him,
| which we did. One hour after we came
back escorting the man. He entered again
Gen. Escobedo's apartment, and after a
short time both came out, and Gen. Esco-
bedo said to me: Take a company of
soldiers and follow this man; take posses
sion of all the large buildings you can
will send achievements after YOU All
this gave me an idea that there was some
thing wrong in what Lopez was doing, and
| ordered two of my officers TO watch him
closely and
SHOOT HIM AT THE FIRST SIGNAL
of misleading they could notice. All this |
saw, and had for witnesses Gems Gallardo,
Bocha and Others" To this Rocha replied
in negative and insulting manner, which
Arco could not stand, and this duel was the
| YnSu1t